LEGALIZATION OF POLYGYNY

Date: July 5, 2014

Petition to appeal to the US government to consider the legalization Polygyny.

We, as American Muslim citizens  petition the local politicians and Mayors to consider the legalization of polygyny. Polygyny to be defined as the right for a man to have up to four wives.

In the United States, there have been three basic marriage models: The historic Judaic-Christian marriage model, the Romantic marriage model, and the Rationalistic marriage model. The historic Judaic-Christian model has roots deep within Jewish tradition. This model views marriage as a very special gift from God that should be used for man's benefit. HOWEVER the traditional definition of marriage has changed throughout the years in the United States and if the US claims to be a country that separates church and state then there is no reason why it cannot broaden its scope to include a model that fits the needs of religions that practice polygyny.

In addition, within the past ten years this narrow definition of marriage has broadened its scope since the legalization of same sex marriages. As law abiding tax paying citizens, we as Muslims are firm believers that in the United States individuals have the right to practice their beliefs as long as it does not hinder the rights of others. While we choose not to interfere with the rights of individuals who want to practice same sex marriages, we would also like the right to allow men to practice polygyny and have the additional wives recognized by the state. According to the Islamic faith, a man is allowed to have up to four wives, which increases the moral aspect of a society. Therefore fewer children would be born out of wedlock and men would be held accountable for any woman that he has an intimate relationship with. We are losing more men to war and violent crimes and women are left widowed without children. Therefore if the United States was to legalize polygyny, it can curtail women and children being left without a male role model in the house hold.

According to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 it states that:  “no government shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability.” In addition, The Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment states that Congress shall not pass laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion. In the 1960s, the Supreme Court interpreted this as banning laws that burdened a person's exercise of religion (e.g. Sherbert v. Verner, 374 U.S. 398 (1963); Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972)). But in the 1980s the Court began to allow legislation that incidentally prohibited religiously mandatory activities as long as the ban was "generally applicable" to all citizens.

It should be also noted that  this proposal would not the first time in US history that polygamy was considered an option. Polygamy became a significant social and political issue in the United States in 1852, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) made it known that a form of the practice, called plural marriage, was part of its doctrine. Opposition to the practice by the United States government resulted in an intense legal conflict, and culminated in LDS Church president Wilford Woodruff announcing the church's official abandonment of the practice on September 25, 1890. However, breakaway Mormon fundamentalist groups living mostly in the western United States, Canada, and Mexico still practice plural marriage.

So we urge you the leaders and local politicians of this country to consider our proposal. It would increase the moral standard of this great country. It would discourage extra marital affairs, every child born under a polygyny would be accounted for. Men who practice polygyny would be able to claim their wives and dependents on all tax forms.

Sincerely,

The law abiding citizens of the  American Muslim community: